


Winter misadventure

by Yuurei



Category: James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Don't copy to another site, Fluff and Angst, How Do I Tag, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-21
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:15:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22836889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yuurei/pseuds/Yuurei
Summary: Q is cold. He knows just the young fellows to cuddle up to to fix that. Things don't go exactly to plan.
Comments: 13
Kudos: 42





	1. Out of the fridge

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Only_1_Truth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Only_1_Truth/gifts).
  * Inspired by [How to Test Quartermasters](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6061579) by [Only_1_Truth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Only_1_Truth/pseuds/Only_1_Truth). 



> I'm not sure where this came from. I half typed it in a comment before I figured here was a better idea.
> 
> If you're coming from Only_1_Truth's Three's Company series awesome, you know what's up.  
> If you're not A) I recommend you go there and read it and B) if you don't want to Q has the ability to shapeshift into a small cat - but has issues with his finicky ability to turn human again, Alec can shift into a raven and James is a telepath (receiving only not transmitting) whose gift has kinda spotty reception sometimes. They're all in university.

Q was cold. Winter had set in in earnest and the dorms, while supposedly comfortably heated for active young adults, were chill on his paws and small frame. Whoever had said cats were fine because of their furry coat had never talked to a cat-shifter certainly. It probably didn't help that his room was on the northward facing side of the building and a strong wind had been blowing steadily as a storm headed in. There was only so much cheap student housing insulation could do against mother nature. 

There was a solution though. Q did after all know two young, hot-blooded certainly, gentlemen that would be more than willing to share their body heat with a furry feline even if he stuck cold feet on their legs and a cold nose on their abs. He could even get them to feed him by hand if he felt like swallowing his human pride for the sake of warm comfort.

The more he thought on it the better an idea for the afternoon it seemed, with one small glitch of course. He was cold because he was already a cat and therefore stuck as said cat for likely the rest of the afternoon. Door handles he'd figured out by dint of that ill advised adventure into spycraft games. Even the heavy outer door to his dorm was manageable if he took the time to alternately push and squirm against it to get the timing right.

The door to James' place would be easier. James' telepathy had been growing in leaps and bounds recently. It was to the point where Q or Alec could direct a thought to James to catch his attention when he wasn't actively seeking their thoughts out so long as they weren't to terribly far away. Like giving someone a verbal shout from the next room over. Outside James home was more than close enough to call him down to get Q in the door.

The true problem that made Q balk was the fact that it was certainly colder outside than it had any right to be because of the layer of snow that had come down the previous night. The layer of snow that was most certainly still coming down between Q's dorm and James and Alec's own housing. Three blocks of running in the wet snow as a cold furry breadloaf was a bit more daunting than as a human wrapped in more layers than an onion.

Thinking of James letting him curl up against his chest, maybe under a blanket even, was worth it though and he began the laborious and awkward process of opening the doors barring him from outside. He counted himself lucky that by virtue of too many internet cat videos he could at least close doors behind himself with ease if not with any sort of grace.


	2. Into the freezer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three blocks is perhaps a bit farther when you're a furry football.

Q dithered in the dorm's minimal foyer looking at the last door between himself and the snow he'd convinced himself to trot through. The wind whipped by and rattled the door in its frame and his ears flattened back toward his shoulders without his input. It sounded absolutely miserable outside but he'd already left his room and whatever heat he'd managed to keep contained therein had probably dissipated when he was fumbling with the open door anyway.

He just convinced himself to head back upstairs anyway when one of his neighbors came rushing down the stairs and out the door, not sparing a glance at the ball of fluff sitting in a corner. A split second later his brain jumped on the fact of not having to open the door himself and he was outside cursing the wind as it bit at his nose. No point going back now.

The wind surprisingly seemed to be the least of his issues. It was a strong one certainly but being less than a foot off the ground he appeared to be missing most of its chill. What he couldn't escape though was the pervasive wet chill that sunk into his paws as he tromped through slushy piles of grey snow that had been churned up by feet traveling along the sidewalk. It was dirty and gross and he'd even suffer the indignity of having a wet flannel taken to each of his legs to get the grime out of his fur.

Despite the horror of the filth he was running through he made good time for the first two blocks. Playing games of chase with Alec had at least upped his stamina from the rather pitiful amount he'd had before they'd become friends.

He skidded around the corner of the last block on a bit of icy concrete and was quite proud to have stayed on his feet through the slide. He smiled as much as a cat could, he was planning on telling Alec who would enjoy the thought of a cat drifting through corners, right up until he got a face full of grimy gray slush thrown in his face.

Q yowled as it drenched his fur in cold dirty water a fair bit of it penetrating down to his skin rather than splashing off his fur.

"Sorry, mate, didn't see you there." The nearby man with his shovel said before turning back to clearing the walk. It was an absentminded apology to what was apparently a stray so Q couldn't hold it against him too much as it wasn't done in malice, after all what shifter would be out and about as a ball of fluff in this weather rather than a person. He shook himself as best he could, which given he seemed to fail as a cat wasn't too great, and mourned the loss of what seemed to be the last of his body heat.

He set off again. With having only one block left to go it'd make more sense to continue than give up and head back to his empty room. James and Alec were always willing to hold him as a cat. He'd be warm in no time at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Found out when I was getting this chapter ready - when I saved my drafts back before I got stuck I accidentally cut off part of chapter 3s ending (or I misfiled it somewhere on my phone) so I have to fix that before I can work on parts 4 and 5😅 oops?
> 
> Edit: I found it! I did indeed save chapter 3s end in a different note program. That app also contains my chapter 4 progress that I thought I'd lost as well!


	3. Freezerburn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Also known as - Q's no good rotten horrible day
> 
> Success or is it?  
> Q reaches James and Alec's home. Now he just needs someone to let him in. **

Q raced down the sidewalk of the remaining block and mewed happily as James' housing came into view. He was cold, wet and his paws were now listening to him even less than they usually did as he shivered.

 _James! James! James, come down and let me in!_ he called mentally as he drew closer to the building, hoping that by the time he reached the doors James would already be on his way down to let him in.

The trick to catching James attention so he would start actively listening was the equivalent of yelling someone's name across the campus so they'd pause and look up. Maybe they didn't know if they'd heard their name or maybe they heard it but didn't know who called but they'd pause and listen to see if someone called again. Maybe they'd just look around to see who was yelling and you could then wave to get their attention. It wasn't an exact science but James was more receptive to himself and Alec when they were furry or feathered so it worked out well most times they called.

Q skidded to a stop, bashing his shoulder on the side of the step up to the door when he lost his footing. It barely hurt which was probably a bad thing being out in the cold as he was but he counted it as a blessing anyway. He'd feel it later when he got warmed up but he didn't need to be feeling every tumble he'd taken on the slipery sidewalk while he was already cold and miserable. James wasn't down yet though so he climbed the step to sit by the door out of the wind. There was a particularly appealing cedar bush that was blocking the worst of the it nicely.

 _James, please hurry up or tell Alec to get moving. It's absolutely horrid out here._ Q whined hoping the tone of voice would get James moving faster. Now that he was sitting still he could feel the cold amplified, his own exertion no longer providing the necessary heat to ward off the chill. He shivered and edged closer to the door.

 _James! James, if you're wrestling with Alec please stop. James, let me in!_ He mewled pitiously, a high pitched kitten cry. It hadn't taken him long to realise that whether James' spotty gift was actually working or not both he and Alec would immediately scoop him up if he cried out. It was more a reflex now than he wanted to admit to but he'd be willing to admit to practicing it if it got James down the stairs any quicker.

There was nothing though. No window flung open from the upper floor and no footsteps pounding down stairs that he could hear. James must have been having an off day for his gift. When it happened sometimes, though less regularly than it used to, James was basically wearing noise cancelling headphones. His gift still worked if you yelled but you had to be in the same room to catch his attention or shout the equivalent of a telepathic air horn from farther away. Well there was always the old standby Alec said worked like a charm for him to catch James' attention.

Q took in as deep a breath as his kitten lungs would hold and meowed as loudly as he could manage. _James! James, can you hear me? If you're ignoring me I'm going to scratch the paint right off your Aston! I'll leave scratches all over your rocker panels and I'll, I'll pee on your tires just you watch me._

He took another breath ready to yell again and choked on the meow that tried to come out as he glanced in the direction of his purported threat recipient. James' car wasn't there. James took Alec's bike quite frequently but he guarded his car more carefully. The likelihood of Alec being the one to have taken it out on the currently slick roads was quite slim and Q felt his stomach drop. No James meant no one to hear him ask to open the door. Q didn't know how long he sat stupified that he hadn't even considered that James wouldn't be on the other end of this trip. 

Eventually a hard gust of wind brought his attention back to where he was sitting. Cold, wet, the size of a small loaf of bread and with no inclination to run three blocks home to a door he couldn't open. Overall not an appealing set of circumstances. He shivered. He needed more cover. 

The cedar bush by the door was overgrown and scraggly covering a portion of the front step and he pushed his hindquarters into it carefully. It blocked the snow pretty well though the wind whistled through it. It was fine. James and Alec couldn't be gone long in this weather. He just had to wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A.k.a this is why we can't have nice things. Sorry Q.
> 
> Alright. That's the last of my small completed chapters. Chapter 4 is half done-ish because I got stuck last time I tried writing this. Gonna go work on it. Chapter 5 is bare bones notes so well see how that goes. Wish me luck?
> 
> Notes:  
> ** The only problem is James doesn't seem to be home and if the missing vehicles are anything to go by Alec isn't either. Well they can't be gone for long right?  
> \- - - - -  
> I got a little bluetooth keyboard to use with my phone (my computer is dead and I'm still looking for a replacement) and I both love and hate it. It doesn't allow for autocorrect so all those little text shortcuts like apostrophes and capital letters for the first of the sentence that I got used to are on me again. It is also not the most sensitive thing so I keep missing letters and having to go back. I think I was typing faster using just my phone.


	4. Too much ice, what dis?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boffin is found. Stop worrying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter titles are ridiculous. I feel bad subjecting you to them. Not bad enough to stop.
> 
> Well this chapter is like the length of the previous couple combined that makes up for the wait, right? Sorry it took so long. I've got a bit of the next part done but it's probably going to take me a while so sorry in advance for the wait. (If you're in punisher or daredevil fandom you can check out the oneshots I did instead of working on this chapter😅)
> 
> I didn't realise before now that AO3 doesn't give you a notice when someone subscribes to a story like on ff.net and that was really throwing me off. Thanks everyone for the kudos so far but here I was thinking no one wanted to know what happened next until I found the stats page on here🙃

Alec was cold, wet, miserable, stuck in slow morning traffic and dearly regretting allowing James to talk him into this trip. The weather being what it was, and what it was supposed to progress to throughout the day, the majority of classes had been cancelled if the contents weren't especially time sensitive leaving a few labs in progress only. It wasn't actually too bad yet compared to the projected storm but more than sufficiently miserable to not want to use his motorcycle for the remainder of the year.

James had talked him into it though. Friday classes being cancelled and a weekend of bad weather coming up meant three days of relaxing indoors. It also meant that Q was probably freezing in his cheap inadequately heated dorm and would likely be more than willing to spend the weekend with James and himself. Providing he didn't have to cart himself over through the snow.

Ideally James could have grabbed Q in the car and Alec had pointed this out. With great enthusiasm in the idea of not having to leave their heated flat. James had pointed out that if three young men were going to spend the weekend shut in they needed significantly more food than was currently in their cupboards. Also a hot container of takeout for when a chilled Q arrived wouldn't go amiss. The weather was already getting quite bad and they didn't have time to make an extended trip for food and a trip for Q before the worst of it hit. The Aston wasn't exactly designed with storage in mind either so it was groceries and takeout or Q not both. 

Putting aside that Q could fit in the same space as a loaf of bread and that they didn't mind toting him about they tried not to get into spots where it was his _only_ choice. Q's ability was still spotty and it made him nervous still to be out and about in his small furry form. Some days he was up for it and others his nervous fear won out. 

Leaving Q on his own wasn't brought up but that meant groceries became all the more necessary because while James and Alec could weather scant meals for a few day Q had little enough meat on his bones as it was. If he ever wanted out of the kitten stage skipping meals wasn't going to happen. That lead to James taking the Aston with groceries and takeout in mind and Alec taking the bike, with the spare helmet in case Q didnt want to be a furry ridealong as he usually was. 

All told it brought Alec to a trip that should have taken him seven or eight minutes at most which had turned into fifteen minutes already of slow and slippery, stop and go horror. First big storm of winter and everyone acted like they'd forgotten how to drive since last winter.

Eventually he did make it to the dorm, no thanks to the idiots on the road, and parked the bike as close to the door as possible. He scoweled down at his seat eyeing the snow landing there and the already soggy back seat. Hopefully Q would be quick about packing a few things in a bag for Alec to hold and then be willing to swiftly change forms. He didnt think Q would be keen on sitting behind him given the seat's current state and he didn't like the thought of having to sit on his own for the return trip if it got too terribly wet either. 

Heading into the foyer he started pressing call buttons, like the student flat they rented Q's dorm was set to buzz visitors in from their rooms with an intercom system to determine who was asking for permission. Alec despite being a regular visitor by now often forgot which number was Q's and had taken to pressing random buttons to the right floor. Occasionally he got Q more often Q's neighbours, having gotten used to Alec, simply buzzed him in themselves though not without faint grumbling of the appropriate number which Alec gleefully ignored. 

This time it took five random buttons before he got a curious "Hello?" through the speaker.

"Ah, hello, hello! Don't suppose you could--" and the door was already buzzing to open. There was something to be said for being known as a persistent nuisance getting you prompt service. He shouldered open the door and behind him he could hear whoever he'd got on the intercom trying to talk to him, no doubt to remind him of Q's room number once again, and pretended he hadn't heard them calling for him. 

Up one flight of steps was quicker than waiting for the lift and he was rapidly bounding up them approaching Q's door. He drummed his hands on the door instead of simply opening the usually unlocked door, one incident with a half naked Q embarrassed into being a cat was more than enough awkwardness.*

The door opened. Not the door he was hoping for but one door down from where he stood. A head popped out and turned toward him. "You're here for Q? Saw the idiot go running off not ten minutes ago from my window. Thought he was a squirrel or something at first but I'm pretty sure it was him going racing down the sidewalk. Daft going out in this weather like that." He drew his head back closing the door to Alec.

"Cheers mate, thanks!" He opened Q's door, sure enough no boffin was present. He grabbed one of the backpacks Q had thrown by his desk and removed the single textbook left in it. Digging in a pocket for his cell he dialed James. "Head back soon as you can," he greeted when James picked up, "Q's outside. Neighbor saw him through a window heading down the sidewalk fast not ten minutes past. Small and furry like."

Hurriedly he threw in fresh trousers, a couple shirts and a pair of soft pjs sitting out on Q's bed. If he wanted fresh pants for the weekend he was out of luck. "Grabbed him a change of clothes. On my way, meet you there." He hung up and headed out. 

Snow had already started to accumulate on the bike's seat and he brushed it off quickly, swinging his leg over and headed up the road toward home. This time he kept an eye to the sidewalks he passed in case he saw Q coming back his way. If Q had left not ten minutes past that should have passed each other. He could have saved himself the aggravation of the trip if he'd seen him running along then.

"Ugh cold, wet leather seat. Damn you Q, couldn't have called us up and waited for Jamesy to collect you in his bloody car?" He grumbled halfheartedly at the absent boffin more worried that he was out in furry form than truly exasperated with him.

"If you've turned into a cat-sicle somewhere out here James is going to mope about something awful." The return ride seemed unbearably long despite actually being quicker than the first trip by a good five minutes. Still, the last twenty-five minutes out in the steadily worsening weather was bad enough for Alec wearing his gear, Q had been out for at least twenty minutes now with only his fur against the cold. It was all well and good to joke but James would be devastated if their friend was truly injured by his exposure and Alec would readily admit he would be too.

There was nothing for it he'd just have to find the boffin before James got back and warm up the little fellow. "Alright, give us a meow Q, can't find you otherwise."

He scanned the walkway outside their building for a black lump sitting in the snow. Nothing. With the wind blowing and snow still falling there weren't even any prints to follow to their owner. "Q! I need you to make some noise boffin. Your neighbour said you'd come running this way." No meows that he could hear but the wind might have drowned it out if it was weak. He hoped one of their own neighbours had seen or heard him earlier and let him in. 

James pulled up behind him leaping out of the car and leaving the bags of groceries he'd gotten and the takeout behind in it. "Q! Damn it, Q, where are you? He's here somewhere, Alec, he's saying my name, almost chanting it but it's so weak I can't find him. I can barely hear him and you know today's been a good day."

"Q, damnit tell us where you are!" Alec was a bit more frantic now. It was one thing to consider that Q might be stuck out in the cold it was another to know he was probably in a snowdrift somewhere and they couldn't find him. 

_Alec? James? James, I'm tired. Can we go in now?_

James' eyes went wide and he shushed Alec. "Q, tell me where you are. I'll pick you up we can head right in."

_'m here, came to see y'... can we go in?_

"Q, I'm right here. Tell me where you are, please, I'll come right to you." It was quiet and for a heart stopping moment he thought Q might have drifted off.

_Mmm the door, was waiting..._

"The door, Alec, by the door somewhere!" They moved to the door checking any large enough lump of snow for their friend as they went.

" Here!" Alec called James over to the cedar bush whose branches he was carefully pushing aside. Curled up inside it's fronds was a small black ball of fur. It wasn't moving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I say stop worrying? My bad.
> 
> Ugh snowy weather outside right now and I feel bad for leaving Q out in it. I don't want to be out in it...
> 
> \---
> 
> These notes are the old ones from when I wrote the first half of this. Gonna put them here anyway (several months later🤣)
> 
> _(Nov 7*)I actually got an unasked for example from mother nature of how the weather can turn to crap in a very short time period and I now feel really sorry for leaving Q out in it. In the evening I walked to the store and there were a few flakes coming down so I threw on a light jacket, my thinnest pair of gloves (you know those one size fits all things that cost a buck and were already worn thin) and on a whim a thin, though wide, infinity scarf that I more wanted to mess with than because it actually helped as a scarf. Oh boy. I spent I don't know 30 minutes in the store? I came out to find blowing snow basically going sideways rather than coming down and half an inch already accumulated on things despite that. I pulled my scarf up as a hood and made a lousy wet walk home glad that at the least I had the scarf and I was wearing hiking shoes rather than running shoes. Thanks mother nature, I didn't need to do any more hands on research for this chapter honest._
> 
> _On the bright side it kicked my butt into gear to finally work on this chapter which I'd been putting off for oh... almost a month😅_  
> 


	5. AN

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a note Sorry!

April 08, 2020  
Just an authors note, sorry. (A long one apparently😅 TL:DR is I'm probably not going to be updating any time soon because pandemic stress fried my creativity for now- I'm personally fine right now, just really over-stressing out.)

 _Edit: April 29 2020.  
So. Yesterday was actually a decent day at work and between that and most of a bottle of wine I decided I really was in the mood to finish this fic up quick like last night. I've got the next chapter up now after a quick look over and the last chapter should be polished up in the next few days, hopefully. Thanks for your patience. I'll leave the original note down below._  
.

.

. 

.

.

.

.

. 

.

.

cw: references to current pandemic, mentions of worry over food security (I'm completely fine for food just apparently slightly prone to panic/overworrying which I did not know)

If you've been following this you'll perhaps notice this is now 6 chapters instead of 5 so there are two more actual chapters of this fic (or actually I think it'll come up as seven but I'll probably replace this chapter eventually with chapter five) but I just wanted to let people know it's probably gonna be quite a while till I finish this. 

Basically, Work is stressing me out. I'm Not frontline (like medical staff) but I'm still 'essential' also known as I'm a cashier. I'm 'young and healthy (-ish)' so it's not me I'm terribly worried about -- it's my elderly grandparents I'm bringing groceries to. I'm very much Terrified I'm going to get sick and be asymptomatic and somehow give it to them. My grandpa already has health problems that landed him in the hospital multiple times in the last years so this would be horrifically bad if he got sick. So therefore, Stress. 

Also, work is stupid scheduling wise right now because of shifts in management (And yesterday my a**hole of a coworker didn't show up for his shift😡- so I had to get a hold of the management and work that out and it was just more stress...)

I've still got my drafts of the last two chapters but very little energy to do anything creative right now. My 'creative energy' has been channeled into making myself a handful of cloth masks to wear at work and occasionally panicking (really needlessly, everything is good here right now I promise) over food security. And I basically just don't have it in me to focus on stuff. I'm rereading old favorites rather than searching out new stuff and generally just going round in circles trying to not let it work me up that I'm dealing with so many people at work -- and kinda failing. I did not know I was prone to over worrying about things, apparently it takes a global pandemic to find that out🤷  
(Being a cashier sucks so bad right now people.)

Anyway I'm Not abandoning this. I really do want to finish this and the last two chapters are going to be fun, for me anyway. I just can't seem to get the words out and it's driving me nuts. I'm going to try and get a few words down so maybe you'll be pleasantly surprised by posting if I can get my brain to work -- Just, no promises. 

Everyone please stay safe! Social distance, wash your hands and all that jazz you've heard. 


	6. Sweet dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dreaming of the way it used to be

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note and keep in mind - no archive warnings apply tag.
> 
> Hey... so I know I left that note a few weeks ago and it has been almost two months since the last proper chapter but I think I'm hitting my stride with this whole having to go to work during a pandemic thing.  
> Eh not really. But.  
> I am in a good mood though because work finally gave us a bigger "sneeze guard" yesterday (aka that piece of plexiglass between us and people) that actually covers the counter, till area and lottery area so people can no longer be stupid and _lean around it to talk at me_. So that's actually surprisingly a lot less stressful. I know a lot of it is placebo and only a little bit more helpful given the nature of how easy it is to spread this virus but I'll take what I can get.
> 
> Hope you enjoy the chapter 😇 next one will be out really soon. Promise. I think I'm almost done fiddling with it. Please review!

He reached out hand trembling for the small quiet body. It was cold to the touch. He slid his hand along its side reaching under gently to lift it but it halted partway off the ground. "Alec, inside quick get us a cup of warm water he's frozen to the step." 

He shifted further into the bush's branches blocking what wind he could unmindful of the cold snow melting and wetting his jeans. "Easy, Q, it's gonna be fine now. I've got you." He murmured ignoring the quiver in his own voice. 

"Some warm blankets and a bowl of chicken soup. It'll be just like the first time I brought your furry self home." 

\---

It was so small. Shifters who died in animal form stayed that way. There was no magic change that returned them to human form. They were left as they were the moment they stopped breathing. The coffin that held Q needed only one pal bearer and Alec had allowed that it was James' right as Q's best friend.

James could hear his voice calling from the small coffin he carried against his chest and he knew it was only a dream. Q was gone. The call persisted though echoing in his mind. 

_James, it's dark. What's going on? James, why can't I move?_

He closed his eyes trying to ignore it. There was no hope in happy dreams.

There was a sharp sting on his chest, like the feeling of nails digging in to draw blood. It matched the ache that resided there. He took a deep breath to feel them dig in further. Pain was nothing less than he'd deserve for being too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please dont kill me? *hides behind couch* I'm not quite that cruel. There are now six chapters instead of five. It's not over. Mind the no archive warnings apply. I promise.
> 
> Comments please? Pretty Please? I will seriously beg here for some feedback...


	7. Defrost it, but we're gonna have takeout anyway.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This starts right where the last chapter left off. 
> 
> Warming up a cold boffin who finally gets his warm blanket cuddles - just not the way it was planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I looked up hypothermia in cats for this and I'm very glad my cats are indoor furballs only.
> 
> Thanks for sticking with me till the end of this. Sorry it took me ages to get done for such a short thing, I hope the two last chapters in rapid succession make up for the wait.

As James breathed in the claws dug further into him, a frantic scramble to adjust to his movement. He gasped against the pain and woke up, his chest heaving. He clutched at the wrapped bundle on his chest that was squirming weakly against it's cloth confines, it was only a dream... 

\---

He was drifting, lost in nothing. It was quiet except for the occasional rumbling noise that moved through his body. No cold or warm or any worry about why those might be important. Another low rumble passed and he considered it, a voice perhaps, wondering if it might be important but why would it be? He drifted away again. In this nothing it was comfortable.

\---

Alec and James sat in their rooms together in quiet vigil, heater turned on as high as it could manage and it had reached a sweltering heat level inside despite the heavy snow just outside the window. Alec had long since stripped down to a t-shirt and jeans but James was swaddled in two button up jumpers an odd lump on his chest under one of them. He cradled Q carefully, occasionally stroking his hand along his small fluttering ribcage; a nervous tick to ensure he was still with them.

\---

Consciousness came in broken snippets of time. A word here or there and a hand gently stroking him.

 _'Mhmm, I knew you'd come,'_ Q thought softly at James. _'Said I'd scratch 'ur car, pee on th' tires. Alec said that always makes you come running.'_ He faded out again.

"Oh, Q, you daft bugger." James burried his face in Q's fur murmuring quietly, "We'd always come for you, no threats needed." 

\---

There was light against his eyelids, a dim but pervasive glow, and Q turned his head attempting to bury his face in the soft surface he was laying on. Light meant waking up, meant moving and thinking, things he didn't have the energy to even consider.

There was a huff of laughter above him and a hand stroked his head softly between his ears. "Come on, Q, wake up. You need to eat something other than the bit of broth we got in you." The hand flicked fingers over his whiskers and he twitched. Ugh that feeling was hard to ignore, as James well knew.

He tilted his head sideways and cracked an eye open. Blue jeans filled his vision, his face being mushed into the side of James's ankle. In a parody of their first meeting he was sequestered in the alcove created by James's crossed legs, this time a heavy jumper draped over him as a kitten sized blanket and the heater he could hear was at full blast. 

*He was exhausted. He was starving too and his muscles ached like he'd run a marathon and forgotten to cool down when he stopped.

He mewled piteously and it came out a soft almost breathless sound. _'James, what...?'_

"Awake this time, Q?" James's hand stilled on his back where it had moved to gently stroke his fur. 

_'This time? What?'_ His thoughts were jumbled for a moment before it came back to him. Gentle hands cleaning him off and warming him up, carefully oh so carefully. An eyedropper full of warm broth held to his lips, no strength to drink on his own even with a bowl held close. Alec running around frantic to grab whatever was needed while James had held him close radiating gentle heat and murmuring nonsense softly to him as the icy cold faded with an uncomfortable needle-like prickling sensation.

He stretched lightly taking stock of things and pushing back against James's hand. _'I'm awake this time I think.'_

The hand resumed it's slow strokes down Q's back. "Do you think you can eat a bit? Alec's been hovering by the microwave waiting to heat it for you." He waved his other hand in a lazy arc to where Alec was indeed standing waiting hand raised to the microwave. 

"Morning, Boffin. Up for a bit of chicken soup?" He hit the button without waiting for an answer from Q or a relay from James. "You're having it anyway, too skinny by far." 

Q rolled his eyes. _'Good thing I'm starving.'_ He sent to James who chuckled at him. He went to sit up and found his muscles wouldn't cooperate though. His legs felt like jelly and he flopped back down weakly. _'Might need a bit of help though,'_ he sent to James a bit sheepishly.

"Good thing indeed," James murmured, reaching down to shift Q sideways a bit so he could eat easier.

The microwaved dinged and Alec came over carefully holding the warm bowl. "Not going to sit up, Q?" He sat down next to James on the bed. 

Q shook his head, even that felt like too much effort, and Alec frowned worriedly at him.

"Hold it there, Alec, we've got practice at this right, Q?" He reached over to snag the spoon Alec had placed in it reflexively despite Q obviously having no thumbs to use it. Having fished out a small chunk of chicken he held it before Q's nose. "Just like old times, how ever will your ego recover hmm?"

Q reached out the last few millimeters and grabbed it carefully before nipping at James's fingertips gently. _'I remember it being your ego you were worried about.'_

James only laughed lightly before reaching over for the piece of chicken Alec had fished from the bowl for him. The three of them worked their way through half the bowl slowly before Q fell asleep again simply enjoying each other's company now that the worry had lessened with Q's progressing recovery. Maybe the weekend hadn't started out quite how any of them had expected but they were together now and Q would be no worse for his misadventure once he had a chance to eat and rest further. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is rougher than I had planned on but I wanted to get this done before it fell by the wayside for too long.  
> I may come back at some point and edit it a bit but I'm happy enough with it as is for now.
> 
> *This is an almost exact line from Only_1_Truth's How to Bond with your Cat(Q) hopefully they don't mind.
> 
> Someone give me a comment, please? Did you like it, did you hate it, did you have a favourite part or line? It's not too bad is it?
> 
> Does anyone have suggestions or prompts for fics? (Bare in mind this particular Verse is Only_1_Truth's sandbox so they get final say on whether I can still play in it after what I did to their kitten🐱)  
> I will take any prompt that has absolutely nothing to do with the current pandemic. My imagination is giving me more than enough to go on on that front and I wish it'd stop.  
>    
> Just gonna say you all got _really lucky_ I put this as no archive warnings apply when I started it rather than chose not to warn (aka its no character death). I got really exasperated trying to get this chapter to work how I wanted and it's still not what I imagined so I came really close to giving you a mock chapter instead while I worked on it.  
>   
> Edit: That mock chapter being the one I _did post_ before this-- a nice little heartbreaking death and funeral scene. I might have put it as a dream sequence till the next (6th) chapter started but I'm not quite so mean as to have marked it completed while I worked on this chapter.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Winter Misadventure ch4 "Cold"](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24322534) by [Yuurei](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yuurei/pseuds/Yuurei)




End file.
